How to pronounce duress
Say it like DUUR-es. Duress has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DUUR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce duress. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DUUR
- es
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Duress pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DUURSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
- esKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of duress
- The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2.
British respelling: dyuh-RES.
What does duress mean?
- Constraint by threat.
- Restraint in which a person is influenced, whether by lawful or unlawful forceful compulsion of their liberty by monition or implementation of physical enforcement; legally for the incurring of civil liability, of a citizen's arrest, or of subrogation, or illegally for the committing of an offense,
- To put under duress; to pressure.“Someone was duressing her.”
Where does duress come from?
Inherited from Middle English duresse, from Old French duresse, from Latin dūritia (“hardness”), from dūrus (“hard”).
Questions about saying duress
How do you pronounce duress?
Say DUUR-es. The American pronunciation is /ˈdʊrɛs/. In British English it is /djʊˈrɛs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in duress?
Duress has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DUUR). Broken into parts: DUUR · es.
Is duress pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2. The British form is /djʊˈrɛs/ (dyuh-RES).